PH Ambassador Aims to Boost PH-Indonesia Trade Via RORO Revival
Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hiong Tan Wee (left) meets with Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Sinyo Harry Sarundajang (right)
JAKARTA 24 July 2018 – Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hiong Tan Wee met with Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Sinyo Harry Sarundajang to discuss the revival of the Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) route between the Philippines and Indonesia, which aims to enhance maritime connectivity, and promote trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The maiden voyage of the RORO between Davao and General Santos in the Philippines and Bitung in Indonesia was launched by President Rodrigo Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 30 April 2017.
The operationalization of RORO supports the region’s efforts towards pursuing integration, enhancing connectivity, expanding trade and investment opportunities, and developing micro- small-and-medium-scale enterprises in the sub-regions. It aims to further intensify cooperation in the areas of tourism promotion, establishment of air linkages, and increasing trade and investment flows.
The RORO route could help spur further trade, business, and tourism opportunities between the Philippines—especially for Mindanao—and Indonesia by significantly reducing shipping time and cost between the two countries. However, the RORO route is currently on hold due to low demand.
Indonesia has moved from being the Philippines’ 11th top trading partner in 2015, to the Philippines’ ninth top trading partner in 2017. Philippines-Indonesia trade has increased from US$4 billion in 2015 to over US$7 billion in 2017.
In an effort to revive the route, Ambassador Wee met with stakeholders in Manila to discuss how to move forward. He also met associations of businesspeople and exporters who are members of the Management Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce.
Ambassador Wee also held talks with various airlines to discuss the establishment of a direct air route between Davao and Manado that will complement the RORO. END
For more information, visit www.jakartape.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philembjkt.com or https://facebook.com/PHLinIndonesia/